Tehran, 19 March 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- During their excavations in Bolaghi Gorge, Iranian Fars province, Iranian and French archeology team succeeded in unearthing a number of statue eyes dating back to the Achaemenid era (550-330 BC) in Darius’ the Great palace.  

 

Announcing this news, Mohammad Taghi Atayi, Iranian head of Iran-French archeology team told CHN: “Some pairs of eyes were discovered during the excavations of Iran-French archeology team in Bolaghi Gorge. The eyes were made of some weak material such as mortar and black stones were used for their pupils.” 

 

More than five pairs of eyes have been discovered so far and archeologists believe that more excavations would lead to unearthing a more number of statue eyes. However according to Atayi the usage of these eyes are not clear yet and the archeology team is determined to clarify their exact place during the closing days of excavations which will come to an end on March 21, the last day of Iranian calendar. “We are not still sure whether these eyes were implemented in stone statues, wooden statues or reliefs,” added Atayi.

 

Discovering the eastern porch of Darius’ palace, the Achaemenid king, in Bolaghi Gorge were among the other stunning findings during the third season of Iranian- French joint team in Bolaghi Gorge which was conducted under the supervision of Mohammad Taghi Atayi from Iran’s Parse Pasargadae Research Center and Remy Boucharlat, French archeologists and director of the French Institute of Iranian Studies.  

 

Bolaghi Gorge, located 4 kilometers from the World Heritage Site of Pasargadae in Fars province, is one of the most important archeological sites in Iran where a large number of historical evidence including the remains of a village belonging to the Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BC), 6000 year-old clay kilns, one of the palaces of Achaemenid king Darius the Great, and numerous other archeological relics and architectural structures have been unearthed during emergency archeological excavations undertaken by Iranian and foreign archeologists in the past three years. With the flooding of Sivand Dam which was recently built in Bolaghi Gorge, hundreds of historical relics unearthed so far will be submerged.

 

Soudabeh Sadigh

foreigndesk@chn.ir